Diana 52 – the tactical version Part 2

Guest bloggerMo’s finishing up his Diana 52, as he converts it from a mild, unassuming air rifle into a tactical gun. If you’d like to write a guest post for this blog, please email me.

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In this segment, I’ll paint the metal parts, reassemble the gun and add some tactical accessories.

Before and after pictures of the triggerguard.

The breech before and after sanding, cleaning and rubbing. I put more work into the breech after I disassemble the rifle.

Now, I’ll prep the barrel.

I used double-sided tape to seal off the muzzle. Trim off the ends (before attaching the tape) so the front of the barrel gets an even coat. Use masking tape for the end that contacts the action. Always cover a large part as the paint tends to fly onto parts you dont want to coat.

Here’s the barrel after 1 coat of primer, 3 coats of paint and 2 coats of clear. I removed the paint from the barrel due to a large scratch, then repainted it.

The cocking arm needed attention too. I did not disassemble it from theaction since it needed only a touch up. I covered the surrounding partswith paper and masking tape. If yours needs a proper paint job, disassemble it and pay close attention to the joints and hinges. Painting them could hinder free movement. Quickly clean off those parts after each coat to prevent sticking. A light coat of mineral spirits on these parts before painting will prevent the paint from adhering.

The cocking arm painted and drying.

Now, to the buttpad, which is made of three parts:

1. A white plastic spacer that contacts the stock wood.2. A black rubber spacer that contacts the plastic spacer.3. A thick brown rubber end that contacts the black spacer.

It takes a bit of work to separate these components. I cleaned the black rubber and the white plastic thoroughly to get them back to their original condition. Then, I installed only the white plastic sleeve and the black rubber part. The end pad was discarded so it doesn’t spoil the new look. Plus, the scope relief feels better and so is the hold because the rifle now has a shorter pull. Of course, you may not like a shorter pull, so you’ll have to consider that when you transform your rifle. The only flipside is that the buttpad cannot be rested on a smooth surface since only the screws make contact.

Here’s the finished rifle.

Here are some general tips I’d like to pass along to you. If you’ve done a lot of painting, you may already know this:

Each coat should be a full coat to maintain consistency.

DO NOT paint the stock in installments as the coats may dry as different shades.

Monitor how the paint responds to different holds, distances, etc., and use it to your advantage for a perfect the job.

Once all the coats have been completed, give it a couple of days to drycompletely. Paint may appear dry on the outside, but will need 12 hours to fully dry. Leave it for a few days and then apply the clear.

Once the painting is done, give it a couple coats of clear following the same guidelines. Just because it’s transparent doesn’t mean you can slack off. If not done properly, clear coats will ruin all your work. If done properly, they’ll preserve and showcase the finish for a long time.

Wait for a couple days before reassembling it and shooting.

To complete the look, I fabricated a muzzle weight/suppressor and had it painted in matte black. It’ made of steel with aluminum alloy baffle inserts and is secured with two grub screws. A suppressor is legal in England but illegal in the US unless licensed. More info about silencers and airguns can be found here.

Seen here with the silencer attached. It’s the same diameter as the action and 20cm long.

I do a lot of my shooting seated. The 52 is very forgiving when it comes to hold, so decided to attach it to my camera tripod.

Tripod mount that attached to where the sling stud used to be.

This is the tripod. It’s a Sony VCTR640 and extends from 20″ to 60″ high. Costs $49.99.

Here’s the rifle mounted on the tripod. The groups didn’t suffer one bit.

“Ooh, your friend saw a near-occultation of the bright orange star Antaresabove the Moon. Antares (means “rival of Mars”) is a 1st-magnitude red-giantstar in Scorpius. He was lucky to catch that, and when the Moon is at crescentit can be really beautiful.”

Thanks for that. The day was dawning, so I guess that explains why a first-mag star looked second or third to me. It was a beautiful sight.

Do you know the relative size of Antares by any chance? In comparison to Betelgeuse, for example? I would guess that because it is an orange star it would have to be much smaller, but still many solar masses.

“Betelgeuse is one of the largest known stars and is probably at least the size of the orbits of Mars or Jupiter around the sun. That’s a diameter about 700 times the size of the Sun or 600 million miles. Mass 20M.” Another source says, “The distance to Betelgeuse is not known with precision but if this is assumed to be 640 light years, the star’s diameter would be about 950 to 1000 times that of the Sun.

“Antares is a class M supergiant star, with a diameter of approximately 700 times that of the sun; if it were placed in the center of our solar system, its outer surface would lie between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The mass of the star is calculated to be 15 to 18 solar masses.[2] Its large size and relatively small mass give Antares a very low average density.”

Looks like Betelgeuse may have a slight edge on size and mass over Antares. But if you are planning to buy property there go with Antares because one source says, “It is likely that Betelgeuse will become a supernova. Considering its size and apparent young age of only 8.5 million years, it may explode within the next thousand years, or may have already.”

Mo: I thought you left the sliding compression cylinder “in the white” do to possible clearence issues or the fact that its movements when used would quickly scratch it up. However, I’ve never even held one of them in my hands.

Now to my nit pick–can you counter sink those two screws into the butt plate?

Last but not least—where did you get that neck knife? Sure looks good to me.

Really badass-looking rifle.I’ve had a pretty much same idea for a while now, but have never found time to do it. Besides, I not sure what kind of spray colours are durable enough. So just like Mr. B asked, could you recommend a specific brand (or type) of spray paint?

I purchased an RWS 54 from PA in June 2008. Never got out my magnifying glass to view the date stamp until yesterday. Gun wasn’t shooting as strong as my friends 2008 RWS 54. I had a revelation. Before opening it up or sending it off I needed to confirm my assumption that this was indeed a 2008 model since the 2008 model’s have an improved trigger and increased velocity over previous years models. To my surprise the manufacturing date was October 1999. Just got off the phone with Ariel in the customer service department of Pyramyd Air. PA has agreed to a full refund for the gun purchased in June 2008 and is sending a prepaid shipping label to return the gun.

Sometimes new old stock is not a bad thing, but wow a 1999. My guess is as they acquire other dealers this happens. If not FIFO, please. I just noticed that they added the Webley Raider back and the FX2000. Pricing seems a little too high, but it gives people the opportunity to try older rifles with out the risk of buying used.

On another note, any word on the AA? I am tempted by a .22 cal that is on sale right now but would like your thoughts on the S410 in .22 first…

Regarding the AA. No gun yet. I’m waiting on a walnut thumbhole stock that has the adjustable butt pad, in .22 with the 10 shot magazine. No one has these guns in stock yet.

Saw your comment about the new bsa. I almost waited on the bsa instead of getting the AA but my concerns were that it’s a new model and I don’t want to be one of the test cases to discover and deal with typical new model issues and I didn’t like the weight. What is your reluctance/objection to an AA S410ERB?

Thanks for the replies! I do hope this’ll encourage some of you to spicing up your old rifles..

Chuck,Craftsman Extraodinaire huh? 🙂 lol.. I do have another rifle I’m working on. But wouldn’t chrome take it to bling world? I’m not a huge fan of that stuff. But I have a crosman 1377 that may look good in chrome with wood handles.. What did you have in mind?

Mr.B,I used spray cans from Bosny. They’re a UK based company and have a great line products. I’m not sure whether they’re available in the US. But I’m sure any automotive quality paint would work.

And you’re right about the sliding chamber.

It is possible to sink the screws into the butt-plate, but this is only a temporary measure till the replacement arrives. Hence I left it the way it is..

The neck knife is a Gerber River Runner. Its a cheap great quality knife. Plus it has that tactical look to boot! 🙂

Vince,There were two reasons for not blacking the sliding chamber. First was the fear that the constant sliding would cause the paint to chip. The brownell product you mentioned also states that its not durable enough for high wear areas.

The second was that the chamber looks better left the way it is. To balance out the look, I polished the front of the suppressor. It looks good now. I will post a pic tomorrow.

Thanks Western PA!

Volvo,I’m sure they weren’t! 🙂

Mothammad,Thanks man. The best way to find out about the paint is to try out some locally available brand on a piece of wood and see how it holds up to abuse. Look for automotive quality paints. These are usually the best.

Kevin, Thanks bro!!

I’m looking for some advice, Would it be a good idea to use a dremel tool to give a matte finish to the sliding chamber? Like this:

I had the compression tube on my Feinwerkbau 124 hard chromed. Don’t freak out guys, it’s all good. Hard chrome is a nice light gray color–it’s not “shiny-blingy”. The gun’s 2-tone now and very, very nice.Excellent wear resistance.

With all this talk about Betelgeuse and Antares, would either of you two be interested in a telescope I have and no longer use? It’s a Fisher Scientific 4″ (I think) refractor on a pipe tripod base with 120v clock drive. I only have the 20mm (?) Barlow eyepiece but I’ll check all tonight. Perhaps a trade 🙂 might be possible.

Mo,Great job. That rifle looks good. I don’t think the white slide detracts from it at all…makes it easier to see where to load during night sorties:).

BB,If you live inside a light dome(aka city), Antares, being closer to the horizon, is going to look dimmer than out in the sticks, also.

Fred,Do you know the focal length on that scope? With the (guessing) pedestal mount and a longer focal length, a 4″ refractor can be really nice on lunar and planetary targets, although it may be a heavy instrument if not permanently mounted or on wheels. If you need any help with it, let me know.

It has been a LONG while since I took optics in college physics, but isn’t the notion of “parallax” adjustments just plain wrong?

When using a 35mm SLR camera, the lenses had a “focal distance” which indicated the range at which the camera would be in focus. The lenses also had a “f-stop” which was essentially related to the size of the hole that the light from the object was coming through. Bigger hole is lower f-stop. The overall notion was that a lower f-stop gave more light, but the “focal range” (distance within which things were in focus) was shorter. A very high f-stop was like a pin hole camera where everything was in focus but you needed to be in the sunny outdoors to take a picture.

AO is really “Adjustable objective” is it not? A scope with an adjustable objective adjusts on the other side from the eye. So what you adjusting is the focal distance.

In .22 PCP I’m thinking FX Cyclone. The challenge remains in high-end airguns that they must be purchased sight unseen without a test drive. I digest the specifications first, and the AA S410 seems a little large for my tastes. To me one of the huge benefits of a PCP is high power with sporter weight and carbine size. You cannot get that in a Springer – the closest I ever owned was the BSA Lightning XL, but it was still only 16-17 ft lbs. For 26-28 ft lbs I used a UK Patriot – a beastof a rifle by any STDs.

However one of the recent benefits in narrowing down candidates is the Internet. Unfortunately B.B. cannot test every rifle for us, but lots of owners exist. I know opinions vary greatly, but here are a few I found Cyclone vs. S410E.

These are all quotes:

· “I much prefer the FX Cyclone. … the MUCH easier cocking of the FX, the much lighter weight and the better balance of the Cyclone means the AA 410e is my loaner now. After I get a .22 Cyclone I will probably sell the Air Arms.

· Never had a problem with my Cyclone and had the safety fall apart on my AA S410 Carbine.

· Much easier to cycle the action on the Cyclone, magazines are way cheaper

· i have absolute confidence in the Cyclone but only 95% in my other rifles

· I recently added another cyclone .22 caliber with wood stock to my collection and sold the air arms 410E· Hands down the cyclone

· I like the cyclone more and consequently shoot it more

· The cyclone will outperform IMO the 410E in number of shots,consitency, weight, maybe length and yes accuracy at longer than 65 yard ranges. I still have to see a rifle group better at 100 yards than my Superswift .22 (basically a cyclone with a diferent cocking mechanism) , that’s including an AZ rapid. It is a rifle made to exceed and so it does. Hard to beat in every aspect. The 410E is a great rifle but IMO too long and heavy. If the price diference between the Cyclone and the 410E was as big as the price diference between a 410E and a Rapid, I ‘d say definately buy the 410E but between 410 and cyclone, the cyclone is King.

· S410 – here are some of the issues I had with it. Some are design issues. Some were reliability. Magazine cover cracked, Shroud came loose, Magazine o-ring was a high service item, Velocity curve is one of the least flat of any PCP I’ve owned.

Barrel seal was a royal pain to change. Had to do it twice.

As for my Cyclone, it has worked perfectly since day one. It has a safety. Cycles fast and flawlessly. No matter how long it has sat, when I pick it up I always know the pellet will go exactly where I point it…just have to do my job. Plus, I love how light weight it is.”

I’m guessing many of these ills have been cured on newer S410’s – but I like to save my gambling for Vegas.That is why I wanted your take on a new one.

Parallax Error is occurs when light rays reflected off the object being viewed does not align precisely with the reticule plane.

Keeping this in mind, moving your head away from the center of the exit pupil will cause an apparent change of the reticule position in relation to the target.

If its possible for you to perfect your cheek-weld to inhuman precision, parallax wont affect you. But the image wont be sharp. When the image is at its best possible focus, there is no parallax error.

Parallax error will always exist. But its more noticeable as the magnification increases in relation to the distance. Hence, an adjustable objective will, as you rightly said, adjust the focal length of the elements, in turn resulting in a sharper focus.

But, a sharply focused image is an image with little or no parallax error. So in truth, it can also be told that we’re adjusting parallax!

thanks for your offer. However, I made a CRITICAL ERROR in the scope description. It’s a reflector, not a refractor! The kids never showed an interest in the scope and my eyes plus where I live just aren’t conducive to using this. I just tried finding this scope on the internet site of Fisher and they no longer make it. The closest I could find to illustrate is at Parks telescopes (parksoptical.com). In short, all the specs will have to wait till tonight but I also discovered that unless the clock drive is important to someone (and it is extremely convenient), there are some fairly inexpensive and larger dobsonian base scopes out there now. Oh, well. later.

Thanks for the response. I agree with most of what you said, but “parallax adjustment” seems like marketing hype to me.

If I get a fixed magnification scope with no focus distance adjustment, then effectively the scope must have a high “f-stop” value so that everything is in focus.

If I get an adjustable focal distance scope, then the “f-stop” of the scope has to be low enough to make “focusing” the scope meaningful. But I’d assume that the “f-stop” of the scope is fixed, and hence I can’t “adjust” the parallax of the scope. The parallax is an intrinsic characteristic of the design which would vary with distance. Thus it seems that some clever marketing type noted that since the parallax error varied with distance you could hype a distance adjustment as a “parallax” adjustment, thus turning an optical limitation into a selling point.

So, yes, a scope with an AO, adjustable objective, will have less parallax than a scope with no focal distance adjustment. But on a scope with AO you are not adjusting the parallax, you are really adjusting the focal distance.

If I truly were able to adjust “parallax” error itself, the f-stop setting of scope would need to be adjustable. I first set the distance adjustment to the distance to the target, say 20 yards. With a fixed focal distance, now adjusting the f-stop does indeed adjust the parallax error. Now I can choose a f-stop setting so that I can make the “plane” of focus as narrow as I’d like. I could set it really fine so that the center of target is clear and edges are blurry. The lower the f-stop the narrower the “plane” of focus. So if my spot weld is off, then the center of the target will be blurry.

Thus as long as I am shooting at the same target (and that I zeroed the scope with the same settings), then having a narrow filed of focus (parallax) would help. But what happens if I now change to 30 yards? If I don’t get distance adjustment exactly right, then the target will be out of focus. I’ll need to move my spot weld to bring the target into focus. So my shots will go to the same place, but the POI will be different than my “range table” would indicate.

Its not marketing hype. I think its got more to do with speaking your customer’s language. Not many people will understand if you get into the specifics of adjusting focal lengths. But almost everyone who’s used a scope would have at one time or other come across parallax error.

You’re right about fixed mag scopes. As for the high f-stop, its partly true. Depends on how you look at it. There is no aperture involved in a scope. Hence its theoretically a high f-stop of you look at the scope walls to be an open aperture.

The part of the adjustable focus is also partly true. But we cant blame the manufacturers as they don’t claim to eliminate parallax error – they only provide an adjustment. Parallax cannot be fully eliminated and still remain within the confines of affordability. At least I think so.

You rightly said, a scope with adjustable AO will have less noticeable parallax error at a given distance for a given magnification. At all other magnification and planes, parallax will exist.

The adjustable aperture is a very valid and interesting point. But it will be overkill for the use, not to mention expensive and cumbersome to operate.

Also, even with an adjustable objective, the image is still not at its sharpest. But it is as near to perceivable sharpness as possible. The moment you move your eye, its out of focus. Perceivable or otherwise.

Assuming a design with adjustable focal leghth, aperture control and eyepiece magnification adjustment, it will still have parallax when the cheek weld is not precise. So such precision will be wasted. Unless we acquire the sight picture on a projection screen. Then its a super scope! 🙂

Even with all that under control, if the target moves… you get the drift.

Has anyone ever used or considered using Np3 on an airgun? Np3 combines Teflon with nickle to create a satin colored, self lubricating coat. The stuff looks awesome, not too blingy, and it’s self lubricating and tough as nails. I had considered having all of the internals of one of my guns to see what it did. I would think that the properties of this product would allow you to eliminate all lubrication in your gun. I would think it would increase smoothness and velovity. You could probably coat all of the springs, trigger levers, compression chamber, etc. Check it out here http://www.robarguns.com/ They have some other nice finishes too.

RE: “AO is important to remove parallax which is helpful to shoot accurately at varying distances. “

Disagree entirely. If scope was diameter of a pencil, the effective f-stop would be so large that the scope wouldn’t need focusing – every distance would always be in focus, just like a pinhole camera. But as distance gets further, or light gets lower, then you need a larger diameter tube to get more light. The f-stop goes down. Now you have to add a focal length adjustment, AO, to scope so that you can focus it. So having to focus the scope is a concession to the physical imitations of optics, not a desirable characteristic.

The click adjustments for drop are something else entirely…

It would be nice if bullet drop and “focusing” scope were interconnected. Remember Nordon bomb sight? It was just a fancy mechanical calculator to adjust the optics.

I’m home and have some more info for you and anyone who’s interested in a telescope. What I have is a 4″ REFLECTOR scope on a equitorial mount with a 120vac clock drive so that once focused on an object, will track the object as the earth rotates. The mount is actually a piece of pipe with three legs at the base (Parks Optical is using this mount on some of it’s products). The scope uses 1.25″ Barlow lenses and has one 28mm lens. It has a spotting scope mounted to the tube. The scope was made by EDMUND Scientific, not Fisher but it’s no longer made by Edmund.

hey this is a little off topic but b.b and many of u guys are some of the most knowledgeable airgun enthusiast on the net, i am looking for recommendations on what would be one of the best airguns for raccoon hunting? i do use dogs so i shouldnt encounter shots over 50 feet or so. but when theyre in a tree they dont always give u the best shot placement, lol. i was kinda thinking career fire 201s, but i would love to hear some of your opinions. also, i was wondering if the career fire 201s could be an effective [ humane] round for coyotes inside of 75 yards? thanks in advance for your help.

I know you hit the lottery with your beloved S410, but I doubt that would be my luck.I ordered the FX Cyclone today and it has already shipped. I told myself just one new rifle this year and it’s only January. Time will tell.

Mo,I just thought a fully chromed air rifle would be a unique novelty item. Also, with a mirror finish and with it reflecting the environment around you, it may be virtually invisible as you lurk in the brush. Hmmm…anybody have a chrome pistol they can test that out with? I think a polished chrome sliding cylinder would look good on your black rifle,too. Just the top part that shows when the chamber is closed, maybe.

Derrick,Do you have a picture of the Feinwerkbau? The competition rifles I’ve seen come with some really radical color schemes.

I haven't shot the FX Cyclone, but I plan on getting one too.. I've never compared them.. but I loved the Timberwolf, especially after the LDC.. The only reason I haven't got one yet, is my focus on field target rifles.. and my inability to pass on a good deal on a collectable of sorts…I like the full size AAs410 in the field target stock from the AA400 MPR FT, with the knee rest.. in the sitting position, I like the slightly heavier rifle.. but if I was hunting, which is what both the AAs410 and FX Cyclone were designed for, then light is very important… but like me, some people are doing the single shot mag insert for FT… (Does the Cyclone have one available?), hunting very little, and look for the heavier rifle.. depends of ones focus, I guess..

But I still say there's not going to be that much difference in accuracy.. most of the comments are on weight and smoothness of action.. and the new side lever has got to be darn close as smooth as any. .. not enough to matter.. and with the after market mag from RC machine, it's might be smoother (were those commented on?).. mine feels like 2 lbs or less and re-tracks perfect smooth now..

I hope now and in the past, I haven't come across as putting down the others, as much as praising what my AAs410 .177 has done for me.. I praise and/or poop poo as I see them.. haven't seen the FX Cyclone yet, and I'm so glad you can report to us!!

Congrats on your purchase.. it's great to do it early enough to enjoy all year!!… and also there is more time to break the pledge.. especially if you make a big sale someday soon!!.. which of course you will!! my guess is a Valentines day gift for your wife…

It’s so nice to see someone successful with such good heart. Your praise of the S410 was never mistaken as criticism of other rifles. If anything it inspired me to continue my own search for the ideal. Fortunately, I think I will always need several air rifles in my Xanadu.

The FX Cyclone has the about the same features as the S410, so it’s a step up from the Whisper. I went with a beech stock since they were on sale for less then the synthetic. Walnut would have been about $300 more, so until I can make that “raised bed” kind of cash I had to pass on fancy wood. The only unique feature I know of is the ability to remove the air tank and carry a spare out in the field.

Way off topic- my local big box retailer has a huge shipment of lilac bushes in. I live in zone 5; the last frost day here is about May 21st. They do this every year. The plants will start to grow, die and sit on the shelves until July. Seems such a waste. Maybe one of the readers here will be I high level executive for them …

Volvo,A spare tank sounds very cool, and beech is really a smart choice, not a second choice.. I’m thinking of putting my walnut stock aside (to save), and getting another field target stock for the the AAs400 MPR FT that I stole for the s410…

You never know, who might read here.. but YOU know how easy some folks can be sold something.. especially if they just got moved to the position from hardware… you know flowers and hinges are about the same.. you just have to water one.. and oil the other.. I just forget which is which.. Maybe a little of each on both to be sure!!

It sounds like you want a Fire 201 and want to justify it. It would certainly be enough gun for coons and coyotes at the ranges you mention. But that rifle uses air fast, so plan on carrying a lot of air into the field.

thanks for your advice b.b, i had looked into the condor but was worried it wouldnt handle coyotes, your opinion is certainly valued and appreciated. ive been reading this blog religiously for a few months and i have been exposed to some wonderful insight and a world of learning, thanks

I have my late farther’s old Diana 27, looking a lot worse for wear than your 27 project. I believe it’s from the 50’ies and never saw service. I may have to reseal and respring it like you did.

The 52 was my favorite gun as a kid – but I could not afford it. Today it still hold a very special place in my heart as an all-time favorite springer. You did a lovely job of it.

A fried of mine is as airgun mad as I, and we decided to go all-in with a Weihrauch HW100 and a FX revolution, both in FAC. We have yet to get the guns, but come summer and there will be plinking and paper kills. It all started two years ago with my 27 and a new Gamo 610 – go figure.

At 35 the only thing that changed is the size of my budget. I love the plinkers for their ammo cost, and required riflemanship. I guess we will have to construct a HFT range our selves, since Sweden sadly is a airgunners void (10J+ FAC rule and mainly mooses to kill).

You can definitely see your skills in the work you write.
The arena hopes for even more information (Salvador) passionate writers like you who aren’t afraid to say how they believe.
At all times go after your heart.